TeachingEnglish | Lesson plans

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BBC | British Council 2010

Topic: Pros and cons of cycling / Reducing carbon emissions
Aims:
Language: talking about the pros and cons.
Skills: read a piece of authentic material
Content: learners look at cycling as a way to reduce personal transport carbon
emissions
Level: Low intermediate / B1
Introduction
In this lesson students think about and discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of cycling and consider what else they could do personally to
reduce their carbon emissions
Time: 1.5 hours
Materials provided: photo, worksheet 1, worksheet 2 (Cut up), worksheet 3
Stage Aim Procedure
1 lead-in to topic of
cycling
show the picture of a the bicycle sign. Say the
bicycle belongs to a man or woman (you choose)
called (say a name e.g. Bob)
2 create a persona
of a cyclist
Give learners worksheet 1. Tell them they have a
few minutes to create a persona based around this
cyclist, using the headings to help them.
3 why cycling is a
good thing
Use worksheet 2, cut up, and Ss separate into
good things about cycling and bad things
4 improving things
for cyclists
Look at the bad things from the previous stage and
find solutions
5 come to an
agreement on top
5 improvements
Discuss their solutions and agree on best 5. Then
present ideas to class. Feed in language of opinion
and suggestion.
6 link to more areas
where learners
can be eco-
friendly
Ask learners if they could cycle to work/school,
why? Why not? etc. Hand out Worksheet 3 for
them to complete alone, then to interview a partner
Finish by finding out from whole class how many of
these Ss would be able to do - are any of them
impossible etc.